Comminuting attachment for feed-cutters



0. C. FRICK. COMMI NUTING ATTACHMENT FOR FEED CUTTERS.

APPLICATION FI LED AUG-23. 1918- SI vmmutoz L 9.! 1.! H 5H 2% .m an d2 6 m m a P OOOOGOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO 0000000000 QUQOOOQOOQOWQ 0. C.YFRICK. I COMMINUTING ATTACHMENT FOR FEED CUTTERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-23, 1918.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

El woe to:

d Ito: on w UNITEN STATES PATENT @FFHCE.

ORLANDO C. ERICK, OF MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO SMALLEY MANUFAC- TURIN G COMPANY, OF MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

COMMINUTING ATTACHMENT FOR FEED-CUTTERS.

To (1 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO C. FRIoK, a citizen of the United States, residin at Manitowoc, county of Manitowoc, and tate of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Comminuting Attachments for Feed-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to improvements in comminuting attachments for feed cutters, this application being filed as a continuation in part of my former application filed March 1, 1915, Serial No. 11,116, the present application being substituted for the purpose of including a more complete disclosure and explanation of the principle upon which the invention operates.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby material may be cut into short pieces in an ordinary feed cutter and delivered directly to an eflicient shredding and pulverizing mechanism capable of reducing the material to a finely divided or pulverized condition resembling meal. The device is designed particularly for comminuting alfalfa, clover, or other food products in dry form, such as are ordinarily passed through a feed cutter.

More particularly, my object is to provide means whereby material out in short lengths by the rotary cutter head of an ordinary feed cutter may be sprayed over the front half of a rotary shearing and shredding or com minuting head operating at a higher speed within a perforate, cylindrically curved screen adjusted in close proximity to the outer margins of the shredding and shearing blades throughout a considerable area of their circles of rotation, the apertures in the screen being so formed. as to present sharp edges adapted to exert a shearing action upon the material carried along the screen by the comminuting head and held 'against'the screen by centrifugal force. By

utilizing centrifugal force, I am enabled to accomplish the following results, which I believe have never before been attained in a comminuting attachment:

I am able to use relatively long and thin blades on the comminuting head, thereby providing adequate space, and preventing congestion of material in such a manner that the same will become packed between the blades in the form of a cylindrical, revolving mass, with li tle or .110 stirring action and no Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed August 23, 1918. Serial No; 251,105.

mlxlng effects to rearrange the stems or straws, and cause a maximum number of them to engage in the screen apertures for shearing operations. By utilizing centrlfugal force to hold the material against the screen, I am able to secure upward, as well as downward, deliveries, and, in fact, delivery in all directions.

I am also enabled to throw the residue, composed principally of the longer stems, tangentially into the path of the feed cutter blades for recutting operations, an auxiliary shearlng bar being provided to facilitate recutting on the upwardly moving side of the rotary head of the feed cutter.

I have also discovered that, by rapidly rotating the shredder head in such a manner as to develop suiiicient centrifugal force to effectively hold the material in contact with the screen, I can secure more continuous and much more effective shearing operations than can be secured where the material is simply pushed or swept along the surface of the screen by a set of slowly moving flanges or grinding members, and in my improved attachment delivery of the finer particles becomes much more rapid because such particles are free, not being entrained in a congested mass of unreduced stems.

I have further discovered that a great advantage is secured by locating the rotary comminuting head and screen with its axis considerably below the axis of the feed cutter heard, as well as to the rear thereof. This advantage is due to thefact that the material from the feed cutter head can thus be sprayed over the upper portion of the comminuting head on the downwardly moving side, and where the congestion of material is least. With this arrangement, also, I am able to carry the perforate screen farther around the under side of the comminuting head toward the front thereof, (2'. 6., toward the side of the cutter head), than would otherwise be the case, and, owing to the fact that the comminuting head revolves at a higher speed than the cutter head, I am able to secure a much more continuous action than would be the case if the material were all delivered to the cutter head along a line, or narrow longitudinal zone, parallel with the shaft and in close proximity to the screen.

My general object is further attained by making the comminuting head and itemoperating screen somewhat longer than the cutter head, and arranging the shredding blades of the comminuting head so as to de- .velo a slow, longitudinal feed of the mate- 5 rial uring the comminuting operation, whereby the comminuting surfaces may not only blades on the shredder head which. are rec- I ting blades 10, each of which blades has forked 'tangular in cross section, and by having said blades subdivided at their outer ends and bent in opposite directions, I am able to secure a continuous stirring action, and a catch and let-go effectwhereby the resistance to the movement of the blades is very light, and whereby rubbing effects tending to develop high frictional pressure and heat, with consequent danger of fire, may be avoided.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, outthe axes of the feeding rollers, cutter head and shredder'head transversely.

Fig. 2 is a plan 'view of the same with a portion of the casing broken away.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views, drawn to-planes corresponding with that of Fig. 1, but showingmodified forms of construction.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The material is fed between feed rollers 1 and 2, which deliver it across a shear plate 3 into the path of a cutter head 4, provided with a set of cutting blades 5. All of these partsmay be of ordinary construction, corresponding with feed cutters in com.-

mon use for many years and therefore re quire no further description.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 1, the cut material is thrown by the blades 5 of the'cutter head downwardly and rearwardl into a chamber 7, having cylindrical y curved perforate walls 8. Material not so thrown, slides do wn the inclined casing 'wall 6 into chamber 7. A shearing head is located in this chamber and is provided with a series of radially projecting arms 11 and 12, angularly bent in opposite directions from the shank of the blade. The edges are preferably sharp, but the blades are thin, and blunt edged thin blades will be found very effective. Their extremities move in close proximity to the perforate wall 8. The blades are spaced apart and their shanks, and also their forked ends, virtually constitute series of short segments between which the material may freely pass from'one side of the line of blades to the other. Owing to the fact that the forked arms are bent in opposite directions from the flat surfaces of the bladeshanks, a constant mixing efiect is secured, whereby the material is continuously agitated and the relative positions of the particles shifted with reference to each other. This agitating tendency is also increased by reason of the arrangement of the blades upon the supporting cylindrical head, the latter comprising a series of short sleeves or collars 9 mounted on a supporting shaft 13, the ends of the sleeves or collars 9 being in planes oblique to the shaft, and recessed to receive the shanks of the blades between them under clamping pressure when the members of the head are assembled.

The shredder head is revolved at about twice the speed of the feed cutter head 4 from the shaft of which motion istransmitted to the shredder head through a belt or chain 14, running over pulley 15 on the cutter shaft and a pulley 16 of less diameter on the shredder shaft. I

At the ordinary speeds at which a feed cutter operates, the blades of the cutter will throw a large portion of the cut material as in a spray over the entire exposed area of the shredder head, the latter being located below the axis of the cutter and in the direct line of most effective tangential delivery by the blades while the cut material is still in contact therewith after having been severed at the shear bar 3. The remainder of the cut material will drop to the slideway 6 and pass down by gravity to a point where it will be caught by the shredder blades. This provides very effective distribution, and

cumulate on the bottom wall of the housing,

and is delivered to the shredder in bunches. In such cases it is caught by one set of shredder blades, and carried along the s:reen in that form for a considerable distanoe, and succeeding blades may travel in many cases substantially clear of material until the bunch carried by the preceding blade breaks up and allows some portions to drop back.

But with the construction and arrange ment shown, each blade receives its quota from the cutter head and the comminuting operation commences as soon as the, materlal is brought into contact with the screen, and continues with maximum efficiency at all times.

Owing to the oblique position of the shearing blades, the tendency is to feed the material longitudinally in one direction on the lower side of the head and in the opposite direction on the upper side. But since the quantity is greater on the lower side, tha th pp sid h g me ely the resi- Owing to the helical curve of the blades of the cutter head, the tendency is to throw the cut material toward the end of the shearing head at which the sprocket chain 14 is located, and from this end the material travels toward the other end into the exten sion 7.

The unreduced stems carried by the blades 10 over the top of the shearing head are in part thrown against the cutter blades and carried upwardly to the auxiliary shear bar 3 for recutting or shearing operations. This auxiliary shear bar, however, is principally effective whenever there is a tendency for the shearing head to become congested. And by providing the extension 7 it is possible to avoid congestion under all ordinary conditions and thoroughly comminute and deliver the material through the screen as fast as it is cut by the feed cutter. But under some conditions, and particularly where large power operated feed cutters are used, it is not possible with the de- Vice shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to comminute the material and deliver it as fast as it may be cut by the feed cutter. Therefore if large quantities of material are to be comminuted and where it is desired to perform the work rapidly, I may employ either of the constructions illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. a

In Fig. 3 the elements of the feed cutter, to wit,t-he feed rollers 1 and 2, shear bar 3, cutter head 4, and blades 5, may all be identical with those illustrated in Fig. 1. The material cut by the cutter head 4 will, however, be initially delivered to a chamber 7 which has a perforate bottom wall 8. In this ichamber an initial separation is effected, the finer particles being delivered through the perforations in the bottom wall 8*. The undelivered mmerial will be largely thrown by the blades 10 into a chamber 15, said chamber also having a perforate wall 16, substantially cylindrical in form and containing a shearing head 17 having blades 18. This shearing head and the blades thereon are similar in form and arrangement to the shearing head and blades 9 and 10 respectively. But the shearing head 17 will preferably revolve in an opposite direction and the upper portion of the wall of the chamber 15 is curved away from the shearing head, as shown at 20, thereby forming a receiving cavity 21 into which the material will be thrown by the blades 10, said material being then caught and carried rearwardly and downwardly over the head 17 by the blades 18. The comminuting action will be the same as that described with reference to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the finer particles being delivered through the perforations in the wall 16 and the portion 20 thereof. The head 17 will preferably be revolved at a higher speed than the head 9.

In Fig. 5, a cutter head 4, similar to that shown in the other views, delivers the material downwardly to a head 9", provided with blades 10", similar in form to those above described but located in an elongated chamber 30, which also contains a cooperating shearing head 31, having blades 32 which interlap with the blades 10 of the initial head. The wall 35 of this elongated chamber 30 is aperforate wall and the lower side thereof is preferably ofi'set upwardly to extend partially between the blades of the shearing heads 9 and 31, as indicated at 36. The interacting or interlapping arrangement of the blades of the two heads illustrated in Fig. 4, increases the cooperative effect of the two sets of blades in comminuting the material carried between them independently of the comminuting effects secured by the action of the blades in moving the material along the perforate chamber wall.

Any suitable means may be employed for driving theshearing heads either from the feed cutter or otherwise. In Fig. 1 I have illustrated belt or sprocket chain connections 14, which are adapted to drive the shearing head 9 from the cutter head 4, but at considerably greater )speed. Similar connections are employed in the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, sofar as the initial shearing head is concerned. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a crossed belt 38 for transmitting motion from head 9 to head 17. I have also indicated a belt 39 for transmitting motion from the head 9 to the belt 36. This is not crossed, since these two heads are driven in the same direction. It is not essential whether the speed of the auxiliary heads is the same as that of the initial shearing head or not, but as above stated I have illustrated in Fig. 3 a form of construction in which the head 17 is driven at a higher speed than the head 9, the pulley at 40 on the head 17 being smaller than the pulley on the head 9, from which the head 17 is driven.

In Fig. 4 it is necessary that theshearing blades be either arranged substantially in annular rows on the respective heads, or that the two shearing heads be driven at exactly the same speed, since otherwise the oblique arrangement of the blades would cause those on one head to strike those on the other at intervals. By driving these heads at exactly the same speed, such as may be secured by a sprocket drive or a gear drive and by properly spacing the blades,

' provided with blades adapted to revolve in" it is possible to retain the arrangement of the blades in oblique planes as above described.

I claim:

1. A comminuting attachment for feed cutters having feed cutter heads, comprising thecombination of a chamber adapted to receive cut material from the feed cutter head, and provided with a perforate wall, and a comminuting head located in said chamber and provided with a set of segmental shredding blades provided with forked extremities adapted to engage and sweep the material in a succession of agitating movements along said perforate Wall surfaces, together with an auxiliary comminuting head located in said chamber and provided with blades adapted to revolve in proximity to the blades of the first mentioned comminuting head, and co-acting therewith in the oomminution of the material.

'2. A comminuting attachment for feed cutters having feed cutter heads, comprising the combination of a chamber adapted to receive cut material from the feed cutter head, and provided with a perforate wall, and a comminutin head located in said chamber, and provided with a set of segmental shredding blades, provided with forked extremities adapted to engage and sweep the material in a succession of agitating movements alon said perforate wall surfaces, together wit an auxiliary comminuting head located in said chamber, and provided with blades ada ted to revolve in close proximity to the b ades of thefirst mentioned comminuting head, and coacting therewith in the oomminution and agitation of the material, said second comminuting head being partially encircled b said perforate chamber wall and said wal being curved, and in close proximity to the.

shredding blades.

3. A comminuting attachment for feed cutters having feed cutter heads, comprising the combination of a chamber adapted to receive cut material from the feed cutter head and provided with a perforate wall, and 'a comminutin head located in said chamber, and rovided with a set of segmental shred lng blades provided with forked extremities adapted to engage and sweep the material along said perforate wall surfaces, together with an auxiliary comminuting head located in said chamber and proximity to the blades of the first mentioned comminuting head, and coactlng therewith in the oomminution and agitation of the material, said blades being 10- cated to partially interlap with those of the other comminuting head, substantially as described.

4. A comminuting attachment for feed cutters havin feed cutter heads, comprising the combination of a chamber adapted to receive cut material from the feed cutter head, and provided with a perforate wall, and a comminuting head located in said chamber and provided With a set of segmental shredding blades provided with forked extremities adapted to engage and sweep the material along said perforate wall surfaces, together with an auxiliary comminuting head located in said chamber and provided with blades adapted to revolve in proximity to the blades of the first mentioned comminuting head, and coacting therewith in the oomminution and agitation of the material, and means for revolving said comminuting heads in opposite directions.

5. A comminuting attachment for feed cutters having feed cutter heads, comprising the combination of a rotary comminuting head, a cylindrically curved, perforate screen partially. inclosing said head) and open on the descending side of the head, means for spraying material over the larger portion of the head on the descending side,

and means for rotating the head at sufiicient' speed to hold the material loosely against the screen by centrifugal force, said comminuting head havin sets of flat, thin, radially extending bla es, those of each set being 1n spaced relation to each other in a plane oblique to the axis of the head, and arranged with their outer ed es in close proximity to the screen, the b ad es having suflicient length to allow the material to be largely carried away from their inner shank portions when thrown outwardly by cen-- trifu al force.

6. %he combination with a feed cutter havin a set of rotary blades, a rotary shred er head having blades adapted to revolve in close proximity to the feed cutter blades and in an opposite direction on the- 

